1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an endoscope apparatus that can alone perform endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration biopsy and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography.
2. Description of the Related Art
As known, endoscope apparatuses have been widely used for observation and treatment of an inside of a living body (an inside of a body cavity) or inspection and repairs in industrial plant facilities. In recent years, medical endoscope apparatuses have been developed that can perform endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNA) for checking pancreas and its surroundings in ultrasound images and collecting cells of the pancreas by puncture for pathological examination, or endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) for inserting a thin tube through pancreatic duct or bile duct, injecting a contrast medium and checking by radiography to examine changes of the pancreatic duct or bile duct.
As such an endoscope apparatus, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2000-185042 discloses a distal end portion of an ultrasound endoscope in which an annular ultrasound transducer array for radial scanning is provided in a distal end of an insertion portion, and a treatment instrument protrusion opening is provided on a distal side of the ultrasound transducer array, thereby preventing a treatment instrument from damaging a balloon provided around the ultrasound transducer array.
Also, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2004-154300 discloses a distal end portion of an ultrasound endoscope in which an optical observation window and an ultrasound probe are provided in a distal end portion of an insertion portion, and a plurality of treatment instrument protrusion openings through which treatment instruments are protruded are arranged along a scanning surface of the ultrasound probe.